Rotary valve



Dec. 14, 1943. $M|TH 2,336,756

ROTARY VALVE Filed Oct. 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Deg. 14, 1943. +1 N. SMITH 2,336,756

ROTARY VALVE Filed Oct. 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 i 5 ii 7,44 a? 26 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFlCE ROTARY VALVE Thomas Noah Smith, San Antonio, Tex.

Application October 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,842

Q Claims.

This invention relates to rotary valves and more particularly to valves of the character especially designed for use in connection with internal combustion engines.

In my prior Patent No. 2,048,826, dated July 28, 1936, I have shown and described an internal combustion engine comprising a pair of rotary valves controlling the outlet and intake ports, together with one or more poppet valves interposed between such rotary valves and the engine cylinder.

The present invention relates to an improved construction of rotary valve of this general nature and has been illustrated in connection with an engine of the general type shown in my said prior patent.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a rotary valve of this character having a slot or port extending transversely therethrough and provided on either side of this slot or port with segmental sealing plates having improved means for urging them yieldingly outwardly.

Another object is to provide, in a valve of the above-mentioned character, improved means for circulating cooling fluid therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means for introducing lubricant between a rotary valve of this type and the walls of the bore in which it turns.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary transverse section through the cylinder head of an engine showing a pair of my improved rotary valves mounted therein, parts being in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the rotary valves, showing a fragment of the cylinder head in which it is mounted, parts being in section and other parts being broken away or omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. l is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2,

prior Patent No. 2,048,826.

particularly to Fig. 1, the cylinder head is indicated at l and is shown as of the same general type as that disclosed in my above-mentioned 2 indicates the spark plug sockets, and 3 designates my improved rotary valve in its entirety, two of such valves being employed. Each of the valves 3 comprises a generally cylindrical body snugly fitting a bore l in the cylinder head, and provided with a transverse port or slot 3. As the valve rotates, the ends of this slot move into and out of registry with an outer port 4 and an inner port or chamber 5. Between the chamber 5 and the engine cylinder is provided a valve seat 6 with which engages a poppet valve 1 having a stem 8 mounted to reciprocate in suitable guides and urged toward its seat by means of a spring 9, all as in my said prior patent. The poppet valve is unseated' by means of a cam Ill secured to a cam shaft ll journaled in brackets l2 secured to the cylinder head. The details of the poppet valve and the actuating means therefor form no part of the present invention and constitute the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 413,- 198, filed October 1, 1941.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 6, it will be seen that the solid cylindrical body 3 of my improved valve is cut away as at It to provide a recess in which a cylindrically surfaced segmental sealing plate It is mounted. It will be understood that two of these plates are employed, one on each side of the central transverse port or slot 3 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The inner surfaces of each of these plates, adjacent the side edges thereof, are preferably flat or straight as indicated at Et in Fig. 6, and work against similarly flat faces of the valve body, these co-acting fiat surfaces permitting movement of the plate l4 relative to the valve body in a direction at right angles to the slot 3*.

Adjacent each end of each plate, the valve body.

is formed with a circumferential groove or channel, and the inner face of the plate is provided with a similar channel, these two channels registering with each other to form an arcuate chamber l5 (see Fig. 5), in which is enclosed a corrugated leaf spring it. It will thus be seen that the corrugations of this spring are interposed between the inner surface of the sealing plate and the outer surface of the valve body in such a way as to yieldin-gly urge the plate away from the valve body and to hold it in snug engagement with the walls of the bore I in the cylinder head. Thus, these plates make a gas tight fit with the walls of the bore.

Each valve is provided at its ends with hollow shafts l! and I8. The shaft I! is journaled on ball bearings confined between an inner raceway I9 secured to the shaft and an outer raceway 29 set into aplug or block 2!, fitting snugly into and closing the end of the bore l This plug is provided with a central hollow neck 22 through which the shaft I! extends. A fitting 23 surrounds the outer end of the shaft H and is formed with a threaded outer end 24. Suitable packing 25 surrounds the shaft I! and is confined within the neck 22 between fitting 23, and a screw cap 26 surrounds the fitting 23 and engages threads upon the neck 22, thus compressing the packing and holding the assembly together. By this means a fluid tight joint is formed around the rotating shaft [1, into which fluid may be delivered through a suitabl connection applied to the threaded nipple 24.

At the other end of the valve, the above-men tioned hollow shaft I 8 is journaled in ball bearings confined between an inner raceway 2'. secured to the shaft l8 and an outer raceway 28 mounted in the cylinder head in any suitabl manner (not shown). Th outer portion of the shaft l8, beyond the raceways 27, 28, is suitably formed, as indicated at 29, to receive a driving pinion (not shown) by which the valve may be rotated, as in my said prior patent, and at its extreme outer end, the shaft is threaded as at 39 to receive a nut to secure the pinion in position. The open end of the shaft adjacent the threaded portion 30 may deliver into a suitable conduit for carrying off the fluid discharged therefrom.

As shown in Fig. 2, the sealing plates l4 preferably do not extend to the extreme ends of the valve body, but terminate somewhat short thereof. This provides the valve body with end zones, the outer urfaces of which are substantially fiush with the outer surfaces of the sealing plates.

Formed in these end zones are a pair of intersecting transverse passages or bores 3!, closed at their ends by plugs 32 (see Fig. 3) These bores communicate at their inner ends with the central passageways provided by the hollow shafts l1 and 18.

The valve body 3 is provided, at each side of the central port or slot 3 with one or more longitudinally extending passages or bores 33, two of such passages being shown in the drawings. These passages intersect the transverse bores or passages 3| at each end of the valve body, Thus, continuous passageways through the valve structure are provided from the nipple 24 to the screwthreaded end 34, these passages including the hollow shaft ll, the transverse bores 3! at one end of the valve, the four longitudinally extending passages 33, the transverse bores 3! at the other end of the valve, and the passage through the hollow shaft l8.

Any suitable fluid may be caused to flow through these passageway by any appropriate means, for cooling the valve. ploy lubricating oil from the engin crankcase, as the cooling medium, as in my said prior patent, and this oil may be delivered by an oil pump to the nipple connection 24, and returned to the crankcase from the discharge end 39 of the valve assembly.

In addition to the fiat surfaces M I preferably provide means for holding the sealing plate M in position on the valve body, and preventing angular displacement thereof. One such means is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a radial socket formed in the valve body 3 and fitting freely I prefer, however, to emwithin this socket is a stud 36 projecting from the inner face of the plate l4 and rigidly secured thereto as by means of an integrally formed rivet 31. It will thus be seen that the axis of the stud 36 is parallel with th flat faces l4 and thus permits free movement of the plate l4 axially of the stud and radially of the valve body, so that the springs It may move the plates into close contact with the inner walls of the bore in which the valve turns. One of these studs 36 may be used at each end of each plate, but I prefer to employ one at end of each plate, instead of the studs 36, the device illustrated in detail in Fig. '7.

Referring to this figure, I set into the plate M a hollow stud or tube 4| freely slidable within a radial socket 38. A transverse bore 39 connects the inner end of this socket 33 with the longitudinally extending passages 33, the outer ends of the bore 39 being closed by suitable plugs 40. Set into the inner end of the tube 4! is a plug 42 having an opening therethrough. The outer end M of the tube 4| is somewhat constricted and shaped to form a valve seat, and within the tube is disposed a ball 44 constituting a check valve, and interposed between this ball 44 and the plug 42 is a compression spring 43 which serves to yieldingly hold the ball valve a ainst its seat. It will be further noted that the surface of the ball 44 projects slightly beyond the outer surface of the sealing plate l4.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that lubricating oil. flowing under pressure through the passages 33, may enter socket 38 and tube 4| and, when the ball 44 is depressed and thus moved from its seat, such oil may escape through the outer end of the tube 4!.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be seen that in connection with each bore in which the rotary valves are mounted, part of the periphery is made up of the walls l of the bore, and part by the open spaces or ports 4 and 5. When, therefore, the ball valve 44 shown in Fig. '7 is in a position opposite the ports 4 and 5, the spring 43 will hold it to its seat and prevent the escape of oil therethrough. When, however, the ball engages the inner surfaces of the walls I of the bore, it will be thereby pushed slightly inward and lifted from its seat so that oil may escape past the same.

Thus, it will be seen that my improved valve construction, illustrated in Fig. 7, provides means whereby lubricant is delivered through the tubes 4| to a point between the sealing plates l4 and inner walls of the bore P, so long as the ball 44 is in contact with such Walls, but that when the ball valves occupy positions within the ports or open spaces adjacent such bore, they are closed and no lubricant can escape.

While I have shown and described a check valve comprising a ball, it will, of course, be understood that any valve element having a curved outer end may equally well be employed. Also, while I have shown in Fig. 2 both the studs illustrated in Fig. 6 and the check valve arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7, it will, of course, be understood that the studs shown in Fig. 6 may be omitted altogether, and the check valve arrangement illustrated in Fig. '7 used at both ends of both plates if desired.

What I claim is:

1. A rotary valve for internal combustion engines comprising a solid cylindrical body having an open slot extending transversely therethrough, and a hollow shaft projecting from each end of said valve body, said valve body having a plurality of separate longitudinal bores extending therethrough at each side of said slot, and having at each end a plurality of transverse radial bores intersecting said longitudinal bores and connecting them with said hollow shafts.

2. A rotary valve for internal combustion engines comprising a. cylindrical body having an open slot extending transversely therethrough, a cylindrically surfaced segmental sealing plate at each side of said slot, resilient means interposed between said valve body and sealing plate for urging the latter radially outward, and means in addition to and separate from said resilient means for locking said plate to said body to hold it against relative angular displacement while permitting radial movement thereof.

3. A rotary valve for internal combustion engines comprising a cylindrical body having an open slot extending transversely therethrough, a cylindrically surfaced segmental sealing plate at each side of said slot, the adjacent surfaces of said body and plate having registering arcuate grooves forming a chamber, a corrugated spring in said chamber, and a stud carried by said plate and projecting radially inward, said body having a socket in which said stud is received with a sliding fit.

4. A rotary valve for internal combustion engines comprising a cylindrical body having an open slot extending transversely therethrough, a cylindrically surfaced segmental sealing plate at each side of said slot, resilient means interposed between said valve body and sealing plate for urging the latter radially outward, said body having a fluid passage extending therethrough, and means whereby fluid may be delivered from said passage out through the outer face of said sealing plate.

5. The combination with an engine head having a cylindrical bore with a port opening in its side, of a rotary valve fitting in said bore and controlling said opening, said valve comprising a valve body and a cylindrical surfaced segmental sealing late carried thereby, said valve body having a fluid passage extending therethrough, and a radial socket communicating with said passage, a hollow stud set into said plate flush with the outer surface thereof and freely slidable in said radial socket, said stud having a restricted outlet at its outer end constituting a valve seat, and a ball check valve in said stud normally spring pressed against said seat, said ball projecting slightly beyond the outer face of said plate, whereby it is unseated by engagement with the walls of said bore while passing over the same and seated while moving across said port opening.

6. The combination with an engine head having a cylindrical bore with a port opening in its side, of a rotary valve fitting in said bore and comprising a valve body and a cylindrically surfaced segmental sealing plate carried thereby and movable over said opening, and means for introducing lubricant between said valve and bore, said means comprising a hollow stud extending radially of said valve body, said stud being set into said plate with its end flush with the outer face thereof, an inwardly opening check valve at the outer end of said stud and projecting slightly beyond the face of said plate, whereby said valve is unseated by engagement of said projecting portion with the walls of said bore while travelling over the same, and seated while moving across said opening, and means for supplying lubricant to the inner end of said stud.

THOMAS NOAH SMITH. 

